Should cigarettes be illegal? > The regulation of deadly cancer sticks Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor moking is one of the deadliest habits there is. Thousands of people in Canada and millions of people around the world die every year because of smoking cigarettes, both from their own habit as well as exposure to second-hand smoke. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances there is. Studies show that nicotine addiction can be just as powerful, if not more so, than addiction to heroin. That cigarettes and tobacco products have many harmful effects has been proven, repeatedly. It is a well-known fact: Smoking highly increases your chances of getting cancer, heart disease, and many other diseases. While it’s illegal for minors to buy cigarettes, they are freely available in unlimited + » Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor he Blair Witch Project was made on a budget of $60,000. It went on to gross $248 million at the box office, making it one of the most successful and profitable films ever. One of the original “found footage” movies, it tells the story of three students who enter the woods to search for the mysterious “Blair Witch.” They quickly become lost, panicked, and stalked by an unseen force. It’s widely considered one of the best horror movies of the last few decades. Except that it isn’t. The Blair Witch Project isn't scary or entertaining. It’s a boring, amateur, low-budget, disappointing horror flick. The Blair Witch Project may have been original and edgy when it first came out, but a successful viral marketing campaign and vague “it’s real” atmosphere (it’s not real) do not contribute to a lasting legacy. The movie’s plot is just people running around in the woods quantities at government stores for any adult to buy. The government regulates many substances for our health and safety. Some are no doubt more dangerous than others. Many legal drugs are abused, and many illegal drugs are widely considered safe and recreational. The logic of why certain substances are illegal and others are sold in most stores is baffling. There are very few positive qualities for cigarettes. They are not healthy in any way, nor do they even give the intoxicating effect that other substances do. All they do is decrease withdrawal symptoms. Plus, they taste terrible. Cigarettes are highly addictive, and as such highly in demand. Millions of Canadians smoke, and over a billion people do worldwide. Tobacco is a multi-billion dollar industry. I don't think outlawing cigarettes would be feasible, Why the ‘Blair Witch Project’ is an awful movie > Amateur production and box office success does not equal good and freaking out. One of them goes missing. Strange symbols appear. They find the tooth of the one who goes missing in a mysterious box. One of them has an iconic mental breakdown ina close-up of her face. At the disappointing end (spoiler alert!) they find an abandoned cabin. Inside is their missing friend against the wall—as well as some sort of evil presence. We don't get to see exactly what it is. (A ghost? A murderer? The Blair Witch herself?). Instead, the girl screams, drops the camera, and we cut to black. All that build-up with no reveal at all. We don’t know what happened to these people, or what the Blair Witch looks like. I first watched this movie when I was a kid, and I hated it even then. I’ve sat through it again since, and it’s still nauseating in more ways than one. Like with many found footage movies, “shaky cam” happens a lot. If you’re not getting motion sickness from the camera work, you're getting confused, bored, and annoyed by the plot. Why all this build-up with no real climax? Why start with mythology at the beginning and then not explain it by the end? The Blair Witch Project may have captured audiences in the gos before the genre was common, but today it’s forgettable, and just a bad example of the genre. Just because something was a pioneer, doesn’t mean it has to be good. If you're going to watch horror movies for Halloween (see my recommendations in this issue and other October editions of the Other Press), be sure to skip this one. A direct sequel entitled Blair Witch recently came out. Although highly anticipated, reviews show it was basically are-hash of the first one, and just as unsatisfying in all the same ways. It’s no surprise this franchise follow-up failed twice (another sequel in 2000 was even worse), but it is disappointing. Also—how did they run out of food and all other supplies, but they managed to keep the camera going the whole time? Come on. Screenshot of Mad Men or popular. Cigarettes are some of the most harmful substances in existence, but also some of the most popularly abused. Very few people who smoke do it casually or do so without some sort of habit. I would support cigarette harm reduction being encouraged, which is already implemented in some aspects. Cigarettes are already expensive, but maybe they should be even more so. Smoking costs the health care system millions each year in treating smokers and second-hand smoke victims. If you choose to smoke, you are not just harming yourself. You are annoying (and in some cases, hurting) those around you who are exposed to the smoke. Designated smoking areas and laws exist, but they are often not followed. Some people smoke at bus stops, while walking down the sidewalk, or in crowded public areas, like parks. Other regulated substances are prohibited, except in private areas. Why can you smoke in public, but you can’t drink a beer? Why can you buy cigarettes at 7-Eleven, but you can't buy a joint? Why can you buy a carton of cigarettes at the same pharmacy where prescription drugs are ona time-delay because of their harmful and addictive effects? There’s a lot of hypocrisy in tobacco laws due to the popularity of cigarettes, and lobbying. Thankfully, they’re now more restricted than they ever have been. It remains to be seen what the best way to help people stop smoking is, or how much more cigarettes can be regulated, but there’s no doubt that a lot fewer people smoke than in the past. Regulation really does save lives. Tragic events show the problem with Creep Catchers > Why vigilantism doesn’t work Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor [: an earlier article, I talked about why the Creep Catcher vigilante team’s activities are wrong. Vigilantism is extremely dangerous in many ways, for all parties involved. It was only a matter of time before someone got seriously hurt, or worse. Unfortunately, the news has proven me right. Less than a month after being showcased on a Creep Catchers video allegedly trying to lure a young girl for sex at her own home, Katelynn McKnight, 27, committed suicide. A family member confirmed that Katelynn thought her death would “be honourable and bring change.” Katelynn was mentally ill and had many personal problems. It is possible her death was not directly caused by Creep Catchers, but it surely contributed to her depressive state and personal demons. A father-figure to her, who took her in when she needed help, wrote on Facebook: “[...] the unbearable humiliation of being > yiawamba.com publicly labeled as a pedophile unable to leave the house for fear of being attacked was just one of the many things that pushed her over the edge.” It is a reminder of the dangers of conflict with strangers. It demonstrates why some things are better left to the proper authorities, who have experience in dealing with the mentally ill. Certainly, mentally ill people are not always treated properly by the police, but they also don't have their cases posted on the internet, nor are they shamed via public accusations. The Creep Catchers ruined a mentally ill person’s life to the point that she ended it. One anonymous member of the group has spoken out and left the group after the incident. The Creep Catchers have humiliated and shamed many more people, some of whom are mentally ill and are not being subject to a fair process for their alleged behaviour. Hopefully, no more deaths will result from the ambush. It’s definitely a sign things got out of control, and how serious the Creep Catchers’ behaviour really is.